This invention relates to a method and apparatus for disinfecting a user""s hands, and more particularly is concerned with apparatus which enables disinfecting of hands, without requiring a user to manually operate or physically touch the equipment.
There are many instances, in a variety of businesses and institutional situations, where it is desirable, or even essential, that a person have clean hands. For example, anyone handling food, in restaurants or other situations, should ensure their hands are well cleaned, before handling food. In a variety of medical and laboratory situations, it is necessary for personnel to clean their hands regularly, to ensure that an individual does not pick up a disease or infection and to prevent transmission of disease and infection.
In many cases, while facilities might be provided for cleaning or washing of hands, these are not completely effective. In many cases, this requires someone to seek out a washroom or the like, in order to wash or clean their hands. If washrooms and the like are not properly maintained, there can be problems with soap or cleaning solutions being available and/or towels to dry one""s hands.
Devices have been proposed on the art. U.S. Pat. No. 5,265,628 (Sage et al) discloses an automated cleansing chamber. This discloses a relatively complex machine in which two separate cylinders are provided, for a user""s two hands. The intention is that each hand would be inserted into a respective cylinder. The cylinders are rotated and provided an array of nozzles to wash the user""s hands. A program is provided comprising purge, wash, dry, rinse and self-clean cycles. Mechanically, the system is complex, and includes numerous moving parts, which would be subject to wear and deterioration.
An alternative proposal is found in the Stevenson U.S. Pat. No. 2,814,081. This provides a circled rapid hand sanitizer. It provides a transparent, generally rectangular housing, which is intended for conspicuous display, so that patrons in the restaurants and the like can see that a server is sterilizing his or her hands, etc. It again provides two separate openings into the enclosure. To prevent spray and the like from being splashed, etc. out the enclosure, a flexible closure is retained by grommet mouldings for each opening. This means that the flexible closure rubs against the user""s hands, possibly transferring bacteria and the like to or from the user""s hands. A single spray nozzle is provided, directed at least partially towards the openings from the user""s hands, which will aggravate the problem of spray accidentally passing out of the unit. Somewhat surprisingly, while a number of apertures are provided in the bottom of the casing, apparently to exhaust air from a blower, no provision is made for drainage of any excess liquid sprayed onto a user""s hands.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a device that can be used for disinfecting or sanitizing a user""s hands, which device should be simple, compact and readily installed at a variety of different locations. The present inventor has additionally realised that the present invention should ideally automatically provide a disinfecting solution, without requiring manual operation by the user.
For a disinfecting or sanitizing operation, the inventor has realized that it is not necessary to provide a large volume of liquid. Rather, it is only necessary to provide a small quantity of liquid. Additionally, much of the prior art fails to provide a design or device which will appeal to users or encourage them to use the device. Thus, many people are reluctant to insert their hands through any small opening into a closed chamber, since they are not sure exactly how the device will operate or how their hands will be treated.
The present inventor has also realized that, unlike much of the prior art, it is not necessary to have a user thoroughly wash his or her hands. Rather, what is required, is to have a user disinfect the hands. For this purpose, it is sufficient to have a user thoroughly coat his/her hands with a disinfecting solution and rub this solution into the hands. This then eliminates the need for any distinct rinsing or drying steps.
In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for disinfecting a user""s hands, the apparatus comprising:
a housing defining a spray zone, the spray zone being substantially open at the front thereof to enable a user to insert both hands and to manipulate both hands within the spray zone without contacting the housing, the housing including a collection portion for collecting excess spray from the spray zone;
a spray means comprising a plurality of spray nozzles mounted on the housing and directed rearwardly away from the front of the spray zone, for generating a spray of a liquid within the spray chamber and mounted on the drum;
a supply means for supplying a liquid to the spray means;
a valve means connected between the supply means and the spray means for controlling supply of the cleaning liquid;
a sensor means mounted on the spray chamber, for sensing the presence of a user""s hands within the spray chamber; and
a control circuit including a first timer and connected to the sensor means and the valve means, the control circuit being adapted to open the valve means to supply the liquid to the spray means when the sensor means detects the presence of a user""s hands and maintaining the valve means open for a period determined by the first timer.
Preferably, the supply means comprises a storage tank for a concentrated solution and a first inlet for a water supply, and the valve means is then connected to both the first inlet and the storage tank and has an outlet connected to the spray means, the valve means, when open, mixing the concentrated solution and the water in a desired ratio, to form a dilute solution to form said liquid which is supplied to the spray means. The spray chamber preferably then includes an outlet for waste disinfecting solution, adapted to be connected to an external drain.
Advantageously, the valve means comprises a venturi valve.
The apparatus can further include a fan means for providing a flow of drying air. The fan is conveniently connected to and controlled by the control circuit and the control circuit then preferably includes a second timer for timing operation of the fan. The fan is provided mainly to encourage a user to rub the hands together, to promote even distribution of the liquid. In a preferred aspect of the invention only a small quantity of liquid is spraying, so that a full drying steps or cycle is not required.
More preferably, the control circuit includes a relay and the valve means includes an actuating solenoid. The first timer is then connected to the relay for actuation thereof, and the relay includes a first contact means connected to the solenoid for actuation thereof, to open the valve means, and to the second timer, to commence actuation thereof.
In a more preferred aspect of the present invention, the opening is provided at the front of the spray chamber and the spray means comprises a pair of spray nozzles mounted to the spray chamber below the opening and directed upwardly and rearwardly, and optionally a further spray nozzle mounted above the opening and directed downwardly and rearwardly.
The storage tank can be mounted either above or below the spray chamber. In a preferred embodiment, the storage tank is mounted above the spray chamber, so as to provide a compact unit which can be mounted on a counter surface or the like. The supply means preferably includes a filling funnel mounted above the spray chamber and connecting to the storage tank. A vent, to vent air from the storage tank during filling, can either be connected to the exterior or to the spray chamber.
Another aspect of the present invention provides a disinfecting solution and the storage tank is preferably filled with this solution, the disinfecting solution comprising:
1.6-2% N-alkyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride;
1.6-2% didecyl dimethyl ammonium chloride;
0.2-0.4% lauramine oxide;
0.2-0.6% tetrasodium salt of EDTA;
4% glycerin; and water, the amount of water forming the balance of the composition.